There’s a wine glass for every style of wine you would ever want to drink: a glass specific to Bordeaux, one for Pinot Noir, one for Rosé, another for Chardonnay and on and on.
In fact, the choices are so numerous that you are wondering whether you need a wine glass for every type of wine you drink. The answer is yes and no.
If you just want to relax with a nice glass of wine at the end of the day, the vessel you use to get the wine from the bottle to tickling your taste buds does not matter. This is true if you are an sangria lover or enjoy a mug of mulled wine in winter (glühwein). But, if you are bringing home a bottle of a special wine or wanting to get a fully immersive sensory experience of your wine, investing in a set of glasses is absolutely worthwhile. Proper glassware is a must if you are entertaining friends at home and want the wine you serve to make those delicious appetizers you have made really shine.
Here is a fun experiment you can try at home with friends. Select a bottle of white wine and another of red wine. Set out two different glasses for each person. For example, you might use a big, bowl shaped wine glass, or a champagne flute, or a small glass tumbler, or anything else you have. Then have everyone take a small sip of each wine from each glass. The wine will taste differently in each one. Some glass shapes will mute the flavor, some will emphasize aromas, and some will showcase neither the flavor nor the nose. Hopefully you will notice one glass that presents the wine perfectly, and this is why there are so many different types of glass shapes to use depending on the type of wine you’re drinking.
If you enjoy both reds and whites, a good rule of thumb is to have two sets of glasses. Select smaller wine glasses for white wine and larger glasses for red wine.
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